October 06, (THEWILL) — Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former National Security Adviser, Gen Babagana Monguno and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (retd), all of whom fought against Boko Haram, are still divided in their views about how to route the terrorists and end the war against insecurity in the country.
At the public presentation of a book entitled ‘Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum,’ authored by Gen. Irabor, last week, they all shared divergent views that showed the country is still a long way from dealing with the menace of terrorism.
At another level, the occasion turned into a heated debate between the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto, Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah and the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abukakar III, on governance, religion and terrorism in the country. At the end of the day, searching questions on the dangers posed by the continued threat of insecurity to good governance remained unanswered.
While reviewing the book, Bishop Kukah described the fate of abducted schoolgirls, such as Leah Sharibu and the Chibok students as enduring wounds on the nation.
“As long as Leah Sharibu is unaccounted for, every missing child remains a scar on the face of Nigeria,” he said, adding, “They call themselves Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad. But we chose to call them Boko Haram and became comfortable with that, which has shaped our weak response.”
Kukah accused some “Northern politicians of instrumentalising Islam for power,” warning that such “Islamism” undermines democracy and corrodes the faith itself.
The Sultan of Sokoto disagreed sharply with some of Kakah’s categorisation. He insisted that Jihad was widely misunderstood and that Islamism should not be
equated with extremism.
He said, “Jihad is not about killing non-Muslims. It means striving to be the best in whatever you do — as a Muslim, a Christian, a farmer, or an engineer. That is Jihad.”
Arguing that Islamism in Nigeria is about promoting good governance, not seizing power, the head of the Supreme Head of Muslims in Nigeria, further said that, “When President Goodluck Jonathan was in office, Muslims gave him 100 per cent support. Islam seeks good governance, not domination,” he said.
The Sultan further argued that Boko Haram’s anger is rooted less in opposition to education and more in resentment against corrupt, poorly governed leadership.
Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, has said the Boko Haram insurgency is “far more complex” than often portrayed, noting that even his successor, the late President Muhammadu Buhari, could not defeat the group despite being once nominated by the insurgents as their preferred negotiator.
The former President said his administration had set up several committees to explore dialogue with the insurgents and in one instance, the group picked Buhari as their preferred negotiator.
“One of the committees we set up then, the Boko Haram nominated Buhari to lead their team to negotiate with the government. So, I was feeling that, oh, if they nominated Buhari to represent them and have a discussion with the government committee, then when Buhari took over, it could have been an easy way to negotiate with them and they would have handed over their guns. But it was still there till today,”Jonathan said.
Jonathan noted that Buhari’s eventual struggle to defeat Boko Haram during his tenure showed that the insurgency was “far more complex” than often portrayed.
According to him, Boko Haram’s roots and operations cannot be captured by a single narrative, stressing the need for a broader and unconventional approach.
“If you conduct research and interview many people, you will only get part of the story, but never the full story of Boko Haram. I was there. Boko Haram started in 2009 when I was Vice President. I took over in 2010 and spent five years battling the insurgency until I left office. I thought that after I left, within a reasonable time, General Buhari would wipe them out. But even today, Boko Haram is still there. The issue of Boko Haram is far more complex than it is often presented.
“So, it’s a bit complex and not a matter of a single story. But I believe, as a nation, we have to look at the Boko Haram issue differently from the conventional approach. I believe one day we’ll overcome it”, he said.
Jonathan also commended Irabor for documenting his experiences in the book, urging other military officers who participated in counter-insurgency operations to provide their own accounts to enrich the historical record.
“Once again, let me thank General Irabor for this. I always appreciate people who document events clearly. That way, when we write our own accounts, we can borrow from such documentation. I also believe that all the military officers involved in the Boko Haram saga should provide information about what the group truly stood for”, he charged.
Former NSA, retired Gen. Monguno stated that Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said and urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity is and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who wrote the foreword of the book, recalled visiting Boko Haram members after the 2011 UN building attack in Abuja.
“I went to find out who these people were and what they wanted. I found that they were not really aiming for anything political or religious. In short, they were looking for a better life,” he said, adding, “Have we understood that? Have we taken the right steps? Should we accept this menace as part of our lives? If not, what should we do? How proactive have we been in dealing with this monster within our country?”
Commending Gen. Irabor for documenting his experiences, Obasanjo urged Nigeria to be prepared to interrogate its past to make sense of the present and shape its future.
“The life of any nation has the good, the bad and the ugly. What is important is for us to confront our challenges honestly, look at our past and present and when it is time to proffer solutions, we must look beyond the ordinary,” he said.
Other dignitaries at the event which took place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja included the Minister of Defence, Mhammed Badaru Abubakar; service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats and senior government officials.
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